Sighting in Champigny-sur-Marne, July 15, 2009
Val-de-Marne, Île-de-France, France
Sighting on July 15, 2009 in Champigny-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably pyrotechnics (fireworks, flares…) (class B).
What happened
A witness standing on a fourth-floor balcony saw a very bright luminous phenomenon in a cloudy sky and photographed it. According to the witness, it lasted about two minutes, from 12:26 to 12:28 a.m. No other witness account was collected.
The investigator noticed an inconsistency: the witness stated that these times were also shown on the photos, yet the photos are stamped 11:28 p.m. That would place the sighting on 14 July 2009 rather than the 15th. At 11:28 p.m. the large fireworks display fired from the Eiffel Tower for the monument's 120th anniversary was taking place, and the two-minute duration could match its grand finale. If 12:26 a.m. was in fact the correct time, another light show might be responsible, but none could be identified.
GEIPAN classified the case as B: the witness probably saw the reflection on the clouds of the 14 July 2009 light displays. Because the time is uncertain, it cannot be said whether the fireworks or another light show was responsible.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- July 15, 2009
- Location
- Champigny-sur-Marne · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Fireworks and flares
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2009-07-02679
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.